BULLETPROOF COFFEE: YAY OR NAY?

This caffeine shot has become the new staple of weight watchers but should you give it a try? Read on to know what we feel.

The upgraded incarnation of coffee, bulletproof coffee, is becoming a rage among the fitness enthusiasts. However, at Beauty Beats we don’t go by the hearsay. We believe in doing an in depth research to check whether the diet actually lives up to its claims. Here are some points that you need to know.

What is Bulletproof coffee?

For those who don’t know what it is, the recipe of this hot buttered coffee is inspired by the traditional yak butter tea of Tibet, and is recommended to be consumed as a breakfast substitute. Introduced by Dave Aspray, it is a combination of hot coffee from “upgraded” “high-end” coffee beans with unsalted grass-fed butter and octane oil. Our first question, are these fancy ingredients easily available? Can they be replaced with regular coffee or butter that we have in our kitchen? And most importantly what is its nutritional value that an entire meal, incidentally the most important meal of the day, can be skipped for it?

Fitness and wellness expert Dr Mahima Bakshi advises, “Ideally meals should not be missed, in fact to keep body lean one should eat as and when hungry. And as far as the nutritional value is concerned, the drink doesn’t contain all the essential nutrients.” So can we really rely on it? To us it certainly not a healthy meal option if we just consider the nutrient value.

Does it actually help in weightloss and increases concentration?

The diet claims to do both these. Dr Bakshi confirms, “It gives a fuller feeling the entire day when taken for breakfast and subsides the cravings for food. It also keeps you energetic and improves focus.” These definitely are positive points but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a downside. It certainly gives you a fuller feeling but we aren’t sure if it makes you feel energised or more focused.

Dr Bakshi also explains, “It’s consumption should be matched with the weather conditions. Due to the fat content one should avoid consuming it in summers as it can cause health problems.”

Here’s the recipe for you to try:

– Brew a cup of coffee with 2 ½ tsp of finely grounded coffee beans and boiling water. The coffee beans used are known as “upgraded” because as per Dave these coffee beans are free of mycotoxins which he claims are there in normal beans. And the absence of these toxins makes it beneficial.

– Add 1-2 tbsp grass-fed butter.

– Add 1-2 tbsp MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) octane oil.

– Blend them all together and have it.

Make your own version of bulletproof coffee:

We tried our own recipe using 1 tsp of regular instant coffee (like Nescafe Classic) instead of the upgraded beans. Replaced grass-fed butter with ghee, and octane oil with ½ tsp of coconut oil as it is the richest form of MCTs and can be digested easily.

Our understanding about the diet:

While dieticians do accept that fats do make you feel fuller for longer, they don’t approve of saturated fats leading to weightloss. Regular caffeine is also beneficial for the health being loaded with antioxidants and they are also considered as the brain boosters. But there are a few genuine concerns that should be considered.

– Since the recipe was discovered in a cold climate it might not be advisable for people staying in hot and humid cities like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Singapore, Bangkok and so on.

– Too much of butter or coconut oil could also lead to digestive problems.

– It is a big NO for people with cholesterol.

– If you really want this coffee to be effective in your diet, don’t skip a meal instead sip it after a light breakfast or a fruit.